What's Wrong With This Picture?
by Ceara Ivory
Summary: Sephiroth meets his lookalike, an aspiring pianist by the name of Amadeus. My version of the Prince and the Pauper. Warnings: Possible Spoilers, AU, OOC
1. Prologue

What's Wrong With This Picture

Written by Chibikan

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING FFVII. Nor do I own the original Prince and the Pauper plot, that belongs to the master author, Mark Twain, otherwise known as Samuel Clemens.

Summary: Sephiroth, while on a jog through Midgar's slums, runs into Amadeus, a man who looks exactly like the general. A rendition of The Prince and the Pauper.

Prologue:

The music hall in Midgar was filling up fast. A solitary grand piano sat on the stage. Through the large double doors of the entrance, who was to walk but the great general of SOLDIER, Sephiroth. And he wasn't alone, he was followed by two couples. One consisted of a young man with long spiky black hair looking embarrassed in what he referred to as a monkey suit, accompanied by a brunette wearing a long red dress with a slit of the side. The other was a man with spiky gold hair, however, dressed somewhat more comfortably than his friend (and laughing as he struggled). A young woman with long black hair wearing a simple white dress hung on his arm.

Soon after they took their front row seats, the lights went off and the stage lights came on, illuminating the right side of the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen of Midgar," came a voice over the loud speaker. "we at the Shinra Inc. Music Hall, are proud to introduce for his debut performance, Amadeus Cirque." Loud applause rang out.

What stepped into the spot light startled everyone present. The man had long silver hair, and bright green eyes. He looked dead on the Great General. Everyone who'd seen the general enter turned to glance at him and then back at the pianist. Sephiroth smirked and continued to applaud. He knew what they were thinking, and they'd be right. Yes, he had known, and in fact, it was because of their meeting that Amadeus was performing that night.

AN: Want to hear how it happened? Well then, stay with me, folks. I have to go to bed now, I get up at 530.


	2. Chapter 1: What They Want Most

Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY VII. I DO OWN AMADEUS AND SIERRA! I DO NOT OWN THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER! Hope I made myself perfectly clear.

Chapter One

Sephiroth had everything that all young men in his world desired. He had fame, fortune, unbelievable strength, etc. But he was not happy. Not in the least. For you see, while he had all these things, they weren't enough, and he would have gladly given them up for the one thing he DID want. Friends. Friends, family, and the ability to be just like everyone else. But this was the one thing, that he had many times before been told, that he could and would never have.

So, sighing, he stood before a group of men and a few women in uniform. "ATTENTION!" He called, his strong voice echoing from all around the gymnasium that was used for training. The many cadets and noncoms and officers stood immediately at attention. "As you all know, tomorrow is the test for the cadets who have been here at least one year. As we discussed in previous sessions, the first section will be written covering what you have covered in your academic classes. You will use the first part of today's class to review. The practical will consist of two parts in itself. The first part, you will be facing off against dummy opponents, you will have to determine which targets are your foes and which you should leave alone. Finally the last section will take you into real danger, you will be tested on your ability to follow orders. Now, Cadets, to your books and studies, NOW!" The bulk of the group went to the bleachers and got their books and notes out of their bags. "The rest of you, twenty-five laps! Get moving!" At the order, the other fifteen began the run around the gym. Sephiroth moved to his office situated directly at the back to fill out paperwork. His first lieutenant, a man by the name of Zack Fair, followed him.

"So Seph, think any of those greens will make it?" Zack asked, referring to the cadets.

"Honestly, there's only one or two that even fit the bill. All of their grades are fine academically, but from a physical standpoint they don't cut it." Sephiroth had extremely high standards and he had basically rewritten the book on Soldier Guidelines and Policies.

Zack sighed. "Well maybe they don't cut it NOW, but if you give them a chance, they might surprise you," he said. "Why, take that blonde over there, Cloud, he's pretty bright. He ain't as fast as some of them others, but he's got guts. Give a year or two of actual SOLDIER training, and he would be a great asset."

Sephiroth shook his head. For the past three months, since the announcement of the coming test, Zack had been talking this Strife character up. "The problem is Zack, SOLDIER has specific requirements. These requirements are there for the safety of the cadets coming in, not for the protection of SOLDIER itself. Strife has shown little improvement in his year here. He's exactly the same as when he came in. I cannot take him unless he shows phenomenal improvement in these last twenty-four hours. And that's highly doubtful."

Meanwhile,

"Damn it!" Amadeus Cirque cursed, sitting in his ratty old sofa, holding a letter in his hand. "Not again!"

A young redhead stepped out of a small kitchen. "Ama, what is it?"

"Oh, just another rejection letter, . That's the fifth time the symphony's turned me down."

Amadeus was a man with a dream. From the time he was a small child, his father had trained him in the fine art of the piano. Day after day, year after year, his father would tell him of all the wondrous things that awaited him as he practiced. And every time young Amadeus would sit at their small, red, wooden piano to play for his father and mother, their smiles would light up the room brighter than any spotlight. When he finished a piece, no matter how many mistakes he'd made (and there had been plenty), his father would beam even brighter with pride and his mother would clap and give him a kiss on the cheek in appreciation for the beautiful music. But now, both his parents were gone, and all he had now was his dream to become a concert pianist in the symphony. Well, that and his girlfriend, Sierra.

"Well, maybe, it's time you just go solo. I know you wanna do it in the symphony, but, let's be honest, you don't need them." she advised, petting his long silver bangs in comfort.

"Sierra, I can't just give up. This is my dream."

"I'm not telling you to give up. I'm telling you to tell the symphony to stuff it up their rears and go into business for yourself. We both know you're the best pianist in the entire world." Sierra nibbled sensuously on his bottom lip as she continued, hoping this would take his mind off the hurt feelings of rejection.

It was in vain. He pulled away. "Clearly not good enough!" Amadeus declared getting up from the sofa. He grabbed his raincoat and hat. "I better get to work. More ragtime playing at that crappy bar in sector six." And he slammed the door on the way out.

Lightning flashed and thunder crashed as Amadeus walked cautiously to work. He looked up at the plate above the slums. Through a small unfinished crack, he could see the tower of Shinra. "Hmph, they have all the luck."

At precisely the same time

Sephiroth sat in his office chair looking out from the tall window of his office. The lunch hour for the troops had come and now he ate his alone. Zack had stopped asking him to join them long ago, after he'd continued to refuse. He never let on how much he really wanted to eat his lunch with him and the others. It was what he wanted more than anything. He lay his head against his hand as he watched out the window, getting a good view of the slums through more unfinished parts. He watched as the children played in the puddles caused by the rain. He laughed a little. He wished he'd gotten to be that carefree as a child. But no, as trapped as he was now, a man of nearly two and a half decades.

"Hmph, they have all the luck."

Little did these two men know that their paths were about to cross and their lives changed, forever.

AN: Introduced the main characters, and the exposition. Hope you enjoy. Next chapter, Sephiroth and Amadeus meet.


	3. Chapter 2: Ragtime vs Mozart

Chapter 2

Sephiroth finally threw his monogrammed diamond pen down in exasperation. He was so sick of signing paper work day after day. Being general and commander of the entire Shinra army meant lots of it everyday. It seemed to increase just a little every day too. He just couldn't take it anymore. He was the strongest man on Earth. The hero of the Wutaian War. He shouldn't be cooped up in an office all day. He should be out there with his troops, preparing them for the test the next day.

A knock interrupted his headache, "Come." he ordered.

Zack's head peeped in, "Hey Seph, the guys and I are going down to Sector Six for some drinks, wanna come with?" Although, he knew the boy didn't really expect a "yes". He asked every time they went out.

"N…." Sephiroth started to say but then stopped and looked at the paperwork. "Actually, that sounds like a good idea. Just let me grab my cloak."

Zack smiled. Maybe he was actually making some progress on the "nose-to-the-grindstone" general.

Sephiroth grabbed his cloak and threw it over his head. If he didn't keep his head covered, he'd end up being mobbed by tons of fan girls.

They entered the little seedy bar down on Wall Market. The joint was packed with patrons. Zack led the way to the bar where he, Sephiroth and two other guys sat down. The first thing Sephiroth noticed was the ragtime being played by the piano player in the dark corner of the bar. It made him shudder. How dare someone make such a mockery out of music with that stuff?

He looked to his friends, "If the bartender asks, I want a cognac. I'll be right back." He walked over to the pianist and pulled out a fifty gil note. "Sir, I hate to interrupt you. But do you know any Mozart or Beethoven?" he asked as he stuck the bank note into the tip jar, with the fifty clearly visible to the player.

Jade eyes flashed up to the fifty gil in the jar and immediately the music changed into Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. "How's this?"

Clearly impressed, Sephiroth found he could not stand to leave the piano. He had to be closer, to hear the excellence coming from the wonderful instrument, and from the player. "You are very talented."

The pianist didn't look up once, instead focusing on the piano, "Thank you sir, I learned as a child. Practically from the cradle."

A loud voice interrupted them, "CIRQUE! TAKE YOUR BREAK!" Obviously, the manager.

Amadeus stood and came face to face with the man who'd requested the Beethoven and gasped.

END CHAPTERNOTE: Sorry it's taken so long to continue this. I was stuck for a way to bring them both together. Don't worry, I intend to see this through. You will find out what happens in this. Sorry it's so short, as usual I am exhausted, I have experienced a loss of job again. I'm trying instead to find a job as a nanny, pleasing one family instead of 10 at a time.


End file.
